Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Don Cherry - Live in Stockholm (Caprice, 2013)

Trumpeter, flautist and composer Don Cherry always maintained a nomadic sensibility, moving all over the world as a musical troubadour. He did make Sweden a base for quite a while and this album comes from that period. There are three lengthy performances, the "ABF Suite" parts One and Two and "Another Dome Session" recorded in an experimental geodesic dome. He was accompanied by a wide ranging cast of musicians, including Maffy Falay, Bernt Rosengren, Okay Temiz, Torbjörn Hultcrantz, Tommy Koverhult, Leif Wennerström, Rolf Olsson. Recorded in 1968 and 1971, many musicians and seekers were drawn to Cherry because of his his open hearted and accessible approach to music. The three tracks are wide open and thoughtful, moving through periods of beautiful melody as well as abstract improvisation. This album could be seen as something of a precursor to the Organic Music Society albums he did in the 1970s, drawing from a wide range of musical ideas (Turkish in this case as well as American and European) and melding them as only Don Cherry could into a cohesive, accessible musical document. This is a very interesting album as it shows Don Cherry shedding the "free jazz" label that he wore while working with Ornette Coleman and other outre musicians and demonstrating the true polymath he was becoming, embracing all forms of music and all people into a truly universal artistic form. Don Cherry Live in Stockholm - amazon.com